How can I warn bidders of a possible scam?

[galbox]

On December XX, 2013 a seller XXXXXXX (from Netherlands) sold several lots; I have been watching most of them, but won only one. Paid immediately hoping for a quick delivery, but have not received the items so far, and the seller does not reply to emails. So after a month I filed a claim to the Resolution Center. PayPal might issue me a refund after an "investigation", but I really hoped to get the items. Such a waste of time!! What a disappointment!

Anyways, when I had checked today this person's feedback, I saw that none of the items (which I watched) from that day's auctions were ever delivered to recipients, he has a ton of complains like these: "Currently seeking refund through PayPal for non delivery, disappointing!!!!!!!!", "unreliable seller. Item never arrived. Seller did not respond to emails", "Item not received. Seller is a crook. Ebay refunded, just this item", "Totally unreliable seller !!! STAY AWAY !!!!!", etc.

Then I searched eBay listing with description of items from that day's auction, including the item I won but never received. And to my surprise I have found almost all of them currently listed on eBay by another seller (this one from Belgium). The description altered only slightly, and same pictures of items used. The items are uniquely distinguishable, so no mistakes: items are the same ones.

These items currently are being bid (3 days to go), and I suspect this might not end up well for next buyers.

How can someone warn its eBay fellows against a possible scam?!

[kroutpick]

You can't contact directly these bidders.

However, if you think this may be a scam, you can report these listings to eBay.

At the top right of the item number, click on "report item"

Give full informations : name et items numbers of the other seller (the first one)

[galbox]

I have clicked "Report Item" and followed with the report.

There are only few pre-defined drop-down menu selections, and there is no place to put details and/or attach screenshots.

[pierrelebel]

Your Dutch seller received 230 negative feedback in the last 30 days and has no items for sale.  Most likely restricted by eBay.

You cannot warn other eBay members but you can contact eBay directly and let them know that the Dutch user is now selling under a different User ID. eBay will investigate if your suspicions are factual and take appropriate steps against the new seller.

To contact eBay, click on the Customer Support link on top of the page (at right) or write with all details to stopfraud@ebay.com .

[2011limey1]

This certainly isn't a "told you so" and I sympathize with your plight,  But this is SUCH a lesson for any newbie to learn.  You might get so enamoured with an item that you just WANT IT, without checking seller's Feedback.  So many people post about this problem.  Make doubly sure you do your due diligence in checking out everything you possibly can before purchasing anything!

[galbox]

I would agree mostly, and I appreciate your feelings. 

Seeing someone's feedback to be 95+ % positive should not prevent people to do more thorough "background check" on a person.

I am just a buyer, never sold anything on eBay yet.

I'd visit eBay occasionally only when looking for a specific item.

I paid always promptly and sellers were honest so far.

This is a first time for me to encounter a real crook on eBay.

I only hope it is possible to be careful to the point to avoid dishonest sellers completely. 🙂

The person preparing to act dishonourably big can build positive reputation, so there will be unsuspecting prey.

Though I doubt that only newbies (whatever you mean by that) be among all the people fooled in the first batch.

[femmefan1946]

Seeing someone's feedback to be 95+ % positive should not prevent people to do more thorough "background check" on a person.

Unfortunately since most buyers get what they order and are happy with it, a FB score of 95% is abysmal and I'm not surprised that pierrelebel thinks he has been suspended from selling. We can expect that he will become Not A Registered User very soon.

Detailed Seller Ratings are even more sensitive. Most sellers keep up a DSR average of 4.8-5.0, and if a seller's DSRs drop to 4.3, he will also be restricted.

Remember that all the neutral feedback also reflects unhappy buyers, but is not counted against the seller in FB.

[misswings01]

I had a very expensive item listed almost $2,000 with lots of bids and in the last 30 seconds of the auction a fellow from China bid and won it.   He didn't pay.   I read his feedback and it was all positive, but when I read the feedback that he gave it was mostly negative.   Seems he "never receives items", or "items were damaged" etc. etc. and in most cases it states that he gets his money back.   This is a different scam than yours, but how can go get away with this.   I have reported him for non payment, but I know he won't pay, just like he scammed others by saying he never received the items or they were damaged.   I hear there is no tracking number to China, so you would never know if he did get it or not.  

We need to stop these non payers.    I lost all my other bidders.   Gave them a second chance offer, but so much time had passed before I figured out he wasn't paying that they moved on to another item.  

[maggiebvintage2010]

I hope you have added his ID to your blocked bidder list.  It may be time to review your shipping policies about where you will ship.  Some countries are not worth the bother.

[reallynicestamps]

I have reported him for non payment, but I know he won't pay,

Shoudl we assume you mean you opened an Unpaid Item Dispute?

If so, he will get a Strike for non-payment. Many if not most sellers have automatic Blocks against bidders with Strikes. Look into your Seller Preferences. This will be useful if you are normally selling 'better' items.

just like he scammed others by saying he never received the items or they were damaged.  

In those cases he must have paid before he could open a Claim. Still a scam, but not the same kind.

I hear there is no tracking number to China, so you would never know if he did get it or not.  

There is , but it is very expensive. Actually, to be sure of Confirmation of Delivery , you would probably have to go to a courier, rather than the postal system.

We need to stop these non payers.   

Sellers do have some tools.

Blocks on various destinations.

Blocks on UID Strikes

Blocks on bidders with Violations

Blocks on bidders without active Paypal accounts.

Cancellation of auction bids, where the seller notices an unpleasant trend from feedback (like your customers who left mostly negs.)

Blocked Bidder Lists.

But our main tool is cooperation between sellers. And that means laying and completing Unpaid Item Disputes every time. This is especially important for sellers like me who do not have the luxury of seeing bids, because most of our listings are Fixed Price. Blocks on bidders with Strikes are a godsend to us.

[galbox]

Hi pierrelebel,

as you suggested, I have sent email to stopfraud@ebay.com. No response, BTW.

I've described all the information in respect to the Dutch seller's items, and same items that were on sale from Belgium then.

All the sales "successfully" ended on Jan 25, but I have some doubts that bid-winners will receive their items. Because all those items are again on sale by the same Belgian seller, and the bidding will end in 20-21 hours.

The auctions with these stamps are carried out only within a week from one another, that is possibly why there is no much negative feedback yet. I will check his listings and feedback in a week so see if there is a pattern.

[pierrelebel]

"No response, BTW"

They never do.  They investigate, take actions if necessary but will not provide updates to whoever reported the problem - for obvious confidentially reasons. 

eBay could never be seen to tell any member that someone else was a crook.  One may get some satisfaction in knowing they acted upon the information but that is not the way their system works - or anyone else for that matter.  The same applies if you were to report a suspected criminal action to a bank or a credit card issuer or....

Also, while members may see purchases by buyers - there is no evidence that eBay in fact allowed those transactions to be completed.

You did the best you could by reporting the problem.

Time to move on.